DT

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Posts by DT

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  102

  Is the Borg "really" guilty in the Candace Conti case ???

  by RubaDub in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  full disclosure:.

  i am an active (2-4 hrs/month) 3rd generation jw hovering under the radar.

  been posting here for 10 years.

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  DT

  I think it would be appropriate to not allow known sexual predators into the Kingdom Hall. I don't think the congregation would be under any legal requirement to allow sexual predators access to children. They could still listen in on the telephone. An adult could be assigned to deliver literature to the person.
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  102

  Is the Borg "really" guilty in the Candace Conti case ???

  by RubaDub in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  full disclosure:.

  i am an active (2-4 hrs/month) 3rd generation jw hovering under the radar.

  been posting here for 10 years.

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  DT

  Does anybody know if they used to announce that someone was disciplined for child abuse? Or did they just say something like fornication? I guess I'm wondering if they always covered up pedophilia or if it only started when they stopped making announcements about the reasons for discipline.

  It was a good thing for them to stop making announcements of sins, but it was a mistake to conceal crimes from the police and parents.
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  102

  Is the Borg "really" guilty in the Candace Conti case ???

  by RubaDub in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  full disclosure:.

  i am an active (2-4 hrs/month) 3rd generation jw hovering under the radar.

  been posting here for 10 years.

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  DT

  I would say that suspicions of abuse should be reported first to the police. That isn't slander and actually protects them from liability. That would take care of many problems. Also sexual preadators shouldn't be allowed in the door to door ministry.
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  10

  Cognitive Dissonance Can Be A Good Thing!

  by DT in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  many of us have been disheartened by all the comments about the candace conti case from apologists that indicate cognitive dissonance at work.

  some of them even seem to show a shocking lack of empathy.. this might be seen as evidence that even the most shocking revelations will have little or no effect on faithful witnesses.. i disagree.

  i think this case is having a profound effect.. i think many witnesses have been under the impression that this kind of judgement is impossible.

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  DT

  I agree about those who condemn Candace Conti for seeking justice. I would rather see them stay in the Watchtower organization. They deserve each other.

  I'm sure that kind of talk even bothers some Witnesses. They are the ones that may eventually take a stand and leave.
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  7

  Watchtower Society's Balls On The Chopping Block

  by mind blown in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the wts is like a little rotten brat that has had it's way for many years now.

  yes, it's shocking when you've gotten away with your old play book, only to find out the way the law really works when tested to full measure.

  the conti case proves how the law views the wts handling of pedophiles, as well as jury, and jugde.

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  DT

  They are faced with enough legal liability that bankruptcy is a possibility. They should admit their mistakes and make needed changes. The problem is that this could result in a mass exodus. I guess it depends on whether the leaders are more interested in money or power.
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  8

  Really watchtower.org?

  by baltar447 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  this is shameless pr, the front page featured article is:.

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  your child and the internetyou do not have to become an expert at all things electronic in order to keep your child safe..

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  DT

  They want to keep people off the Internet, not because they might meet someone dangerous, but because they might find out that their own Kingdon Hall isn't safe.
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  126

  Candace Conti video on YouTube - let's send it viral!

  by cedars in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  i've uploaded a video that discusses the dramatic jury verdict regarding the abuse suffered by candace conti, of which you are all aware.

  if you're not yet familiar with the story for any reason, please check out my blog article on the link below.... http://jwsurvey.org/general-information/the-watchtower-punished-society-loses-legal-battle-over-child-abuse-case.

  john hoyle suggested i get a youtube video out fairly quickly so that we can spread the message more effectively online.

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  DT

  I like the comments explaining the glitches. It adds a nice human element to the video and discussion. Thanks again for putting out this excellent video.
• 
  10

  Cognitive Dissonance Can Be A Good Thing!

  by DT in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  many of us have been disheartened by all the comments about the candace conti case from apologists that indicate cognitive dissonance at work.

  some of them even seem to show a shocking lack of empathy.. this might be seen as evidence that even the most shocking revelations will have little or no effect on faithful witnesses.. i disagree.

  i think this case is having a profound effect.. i think many witnesses have been under the impression that this kind of judgement is impossible.

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  2. 
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• 

  DT

  Many of us have been disheartened by all the comments about the Candace Conti case from apologists that indicate cognitive dissonance at work. Some of them even seem to show a shocking lack of empathy.

  This might be seen as evidence that even the most shocking revelations will have little or no effect on faithful Witnesses.

  I disagree. I think this case is having a profound effect.

  I think many Witnesses have been under the impression that this kind of judgement is impossible. Well, they have been proven wrong. They may try to justify it as persecution or a result of apostate activity. They probably feel they will be vindicated upon appeal. That's OK. The mind of a cult follower can only absorb so much information at a time. They have been forced to accept that Jehovah won't always prevent this sort of incredibly embarrassing and costly situation.

  We are seeing these kinds of comments because Witnesses really are trouble by this news. They might not be troubled as much as we would like. Most probably won't leave the organisation over it, but this shocking event gives their doubts a chance to grow.

  We should also remember that the public comments we are seeing may not be representative of Witnesses as a whole. Most Witnesses know that they aren't supposed to comment on or even read these articles. The Witnesses who comment on these articles are already good at maintaining cognitive dissonance in their minds. The comments may not even be representatives of the minds of those making them. For many, defending the organisation has become almost an instinct, even when they are having doubts. A cult member is unlikely to verbalize doubts until he has had time to make sense of them in his mind.

  It's hard to predict what kind of effect this news will have. Much depends on what will happen in the future. However, the Watchtower Society has become an unstable system based on strict discipline and information control. While some big events may have little impact, it's at least possible for even small events to start a chain reaction.

  Is this post a symptom of my own cognitive dissonance?

  It could be. It's human nature to try to harmonize conflicting evidence. The magnitude of this case seems to be at odds with the bizarre JW reaction. This is my attempt to explain this apparent contradiction.

  However, it is also human nature for those with with a more pessimistic view to see the JW reaction as confirming their perspective while paying less attention to certain psychological factors.

  Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Or perhaps future events will give us a much better picture of what is going on.
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  3

  GetReligion.org Article About Candace Conti (Comments Needed)

  by DT in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  http://www.getreligion.org/2012/06/a-church-policy-of-secrecy-or-confidentiality/.

  the article seems to suggest that some of the news reports about the case may be exaggerated.

  although i can understand this perspective if you only consider what the media has said, the actual facts of the case are much worse than has been indicated by the newspapers.. i left a comment.

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  DT

  I see a lot of people have commented and given positive votes for the rational comments. Thank you, I think the information is much more balanced now.
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  126

  Candace Conti video on YouTube - let's send it viral!

  by cedars in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  i've uploaded a video that discusses the dramatic jury verdict regarding the abuse suffered by candace conti, of which you are all aware.

  if you're not yet familiar with the story for any reason, please check out my blog article on the link below.... http://jwsurvey.org/general-information/the-watchtower-punished-society-loses-legal-battle-over-child-abuse-case.

  john hoyle suggested i get a youtube video out fairly quickly so that we can spread the message more effectively online.

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  DT

  It's a very well done video. I'll be tweeting about it.

  A few statements seemed a little misleading, as has been discussed. I think it might help to place a little note in the description that the Watchtower Society was held civilly responsible, not criminally responsible. I think that should clarify the ambiguous statements. If apologists want to discuss it further in the comments section, that's fine. It will just give the video more attention.